Fame and Misery
by That Engineer
Summary: Being a prominent star for a hit TV series sounds like a dream come true for the average person. But Lincoln Wilson would be the first to tell you: that's a fat sack of crap. Satire, drama, and humor haphazardly rolled into one. Rated T because you know it's not gonna be pretty.


**A/N: So, I was bored and in the midst of a rut in developing the newer chapters for my stories, especially Syn because Lincoln is supposed to meet the rest of his siblings soon, and I feel if I don't nail it right it's gonna fall to pieces. At the same time, after seeing the many complaints going on about the show and the fandom itself, I kept thinking: what if I turned this into a joke story? Or a 4th wall-breaking rant of some sort? My friends say I should go ahead and do it, and I haven't made something purely meant to take a stab at anything. So, after looking at several sources I could draw ammo from, I compiled them into a dispenser for me to make use of. **

**If I happen to miss anything, I apologize, but I think I've gotten most of the things people tend to be divisive or complain about. If you somehow feel like it's a direct attack on you, then I'm not exactly sorry. :D**

**Do note that characters names and mentioned episodes will be _italicized._**

**WARNING: May contain various amounts of swearing and uncomfortable topics. You have been warned.**

**Disclaimer: I own NOTHING from the Loud House.**

You ever get those times where you feel the good things in life always have several bad things bundled along with it, and you ask, "Why can't this shit be easy for once?" Or that urge in your stomach that's telling you something better is out there waiting for you, but you won't make that decision to quit your job because you don't really know what will happen next out of fear of becoming homeless? Or what about the times you really wanted to chew out the executives running your show because they keep forcing in bad ideas that only sound good on paper, but they almost never work out? And you can't forget the times you bitched at the episode directors due to certain acts feeling like an exercise in stupidity.

And let's not forget because of said writers and/or directors taking a shit on their work, you have the paparazzi and reporters asking outrageous questions and/or making false statements about your life.

For Lincoln, he didn't know which mood to feel, but that last statement was fairly accurate. Currently, the platinum-blonde haired teen was leaning against the railing just outside of the second floor exit to the Nickelodeon studio where he usually acted for his role in _The Loud House_. An indifferent scowl was all but etched on his face as the festivities on the ground floor echoed through a pair of propped open double doors. The show had recently been given the greenlight for a 5th season, hence the call for celebration currently happening downstairs. For a while, the cast and crew were skeptical if the show could survive another season, what with the ratings not being the same as they were two years ago. However, it seemed the executives still had confidence in the show; not only that, they were planning on having some major changes for the next season. It was only a rumor, but word on the grapevine is _The Loud House_ would be allowed to actually age up the characters.

Some were excited about the prospect of moving onto more interesting topics that usually came with age, others were indifferent and only hoped it didn't spiral into something that would wound up getting the show shifted to Nick Toons where old shows slowly die off. And if you were someone like Lincoln, he could only give a frustrated sigh through his nose before leaving the room under the guise of needing to piss. A few of his 'sisters' tried to see if he was ok, but the prominent actor simply said he didn't want to talk with anyone right now. However, his word didn't seem to matter as his folks made him show up anyways.

Normally, Lincoln would've been more than inclined to attend a cast party. But today? The whole shindig could suck it for all he cared. The 14 year old took a sip from his root beer, unconsciously denting the can in his grip as the carbonated liquid depleted in quantity; his parents didn't want him drinking the stuff, but he had too much of a headache to really give a shit. He didn't understand the happiness that was going on below him, nor the reason why anyone wanted to have this party in the first place. The ratings weren't getting any better, some of the writers were leaving to work on the new spinoff at best or outright leaving the show at worst, and even the movie deal Nick was trying to push had been slated for a straight-to-home Netflix release. To be fair, the last one didn't sound _too_ bad; in spite of being 10 at the time, Lincoln believed announcing a movie during the midst of Season One production was too soon. Their show wasn't like _Jimmy Neutron_ where they started off with a movie, _then_ got a series soon after. Hell, even _SpongeBob_ was announced to have a movie after running for a few seasons.

"Still hiding from everyone?" Lincoln jolted as a feminine voice spoke behind him.

Turning his head, there stood a Hispanic teen the boy had been working with for almost as long as he'd been with the show. To many, she was known as 'Ronalda (Ronnie) Anne Santiago'; but her actual name was Reina Hernandez. She had a middle name, but Lincoln almost always butchered it. But on the other side of the coin, Lincoln was the boy's actual name; Loud wasn't his surname though.

Lincoln huffed, returning to his usual position as he stared back into space. "Shouldn't you be getting ready for your spinoff?..."

Reina shrugged. "Not til a few weeks." She kicked the door closed before walking over to him. "So what's going on Lincoln?"

"...Nothing..."

The tomboy rolled her eyes as she leaned back on the railing whilst facing him. "You know I'm gonna keep asking you 'til you say something."

Lincoln grumbled. "It's none of your business Reina…"

"Well, it _kinda_ is since we're gonna be working together for the remaining of this season and the next one, and it isn't gonna be fun if you're acting like Lucille does when she's on the set."

However, the other teen continued to remain silent, making Reina think on what probably upset him. She squinted her eyes as a few choices came up, idly picking each one in order before opening her mouth. "You're not jealous about the spinoff, are you?"

"No..."

"One of the directors piss you off again?"

"...Somewhat..."

Reina pursed her lips. "...Is it about the next season?"

Lincoln sighed, his scowl dropping into a moderate frown. "Yeah..."

Reina raised a brow. "So, what's got your jimmies rustled? If they're going to age up the characters, at least this means they won't have to use computer graphics to hide our actual ages from now on." She looked up into the star-filled sky. "It's amazing how much computer art has evolved over the past decade..."

"I don't think you'd understand what I'm dealing with right now..."

The Latina sent him a dull stare as she folded her arms. "Try me."

Lincoln downed the rest of his drink, taking a moment to cover his mouth as a burp erupted from his throat. "You know how long I've been working with Nick on this show?"

"Since Season 1? Everyone knows that."

"Close, but no. I've been here since the idea for _The Loud House_ started, which was almost a year or two before they actually started broadcasting." Lincoln crumpled up the can before dropping it over the ledge. A metallic bang echoed for a brief moment as the small piece of metal found a home in the dumpster below. "One of the heads at Nick was thinking of making a show that could rival_ SpongeBob_, and while I was walking home from school with my mom, one of them approached us and asked me if I wanted to have a role that could make this dream possible. Of course, I was only a kid so I didn't have a good answer; but my parents saw it was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity and figured it couldn't hurt."

"Sounds a lot like how most of us got brought in." Reina added. "Well, actually. There was that girl named Katlyn that looked a lot like me, but she wasn't really Hispanic so they wanted someone with the actual background to make the role more," She did an air quote with one hand. "_Fitting_..."

"If that's the case, then I don't understand why I have to dye my hair white every few episodes..." Lincoln muttered before continuing on. "So, I was pretty nervous when we started production; especially my twin sisters since they didn't know a thing about acting. Over time, I started to understand the feel of the show being about surviving in a large family; though I still don't see how _anyone_ can actually raise 11 kids with the income we 'supposedly' have." He started to count off his fingers. "Especially when you consider the bills, groceries, repairs to the house, and other things. And what was with having _one bathroom?_ How does that even work?" Lincoln folded his arms. "No wonder everything in that house is rundown."

"I doubt asking any of the staff made things better." Reina pointed out.

"The original manager told us the show was based around his childhood." Lincoln stared up at the dark sky. "Must've been some really awkward years...or something..."

"So, where are you going with this?"

"Much of the first season might have been about me teaching everyone how to survive in a house with a big family, but it felt more like it was me versus my 'sisters' when you really think about it."

"Well, it's from _your _perspective, and you're the one doing all the narration." Reina chided, turning around so she could lean forward on the rail. "So of course it's gonna look that way."

"Which is why it wasn't a _good_ thing. After re-watching some of the episodes, not all of them were bad, but I felt that it didn't paint a good picture for the other girls. Remember what happened after _April Fools Rules_?"

"Ooooh yeah." Reina stood up straight. "Who is that girl that plays _Luan_...Katie, right?" Lincoln gave a curt nod. "That was probably one of the _worst _days of her life! The critics ripped so hard into her character that she lost the will to act for a whole month!"

"Not to mention she lost a lot of popularity for a while because people think she's some cruel, psycho prankster. On the Internet, I've seen that some still haven't let that stuff go and make crazy art about it." Lincoln grimaced a little. "And don't get me started on the stories..."

"The Internet?..." Reina muttered. "Lincoln, you know you're not supposed to look at what other people draw or write you know. The guys upstairs are afraid of getting a copyright claim."

"They said the _writers and storyboard guys _couldn't peek at it. They didn't say anything about _us _giving it a look."

The Latina had an uneasy look in her eyes. "I don't think it's a good idea. Besides, you know how many wackos are hiding on the net?"

Lincoln scratched at his light, almost platinum looking blonde hair. "Trust me, I've seen plenty..." He chuckled darkly, sending a chill up Reina's spine. "But back to my main point, the first season felt like it was hit or miss. Some may like it, but I can see why some wouldn't. My 'sisters' look like they can be _major_ uncaring jerks at times or go overboard when dealing with certain problems. I've seen some complaints about," He counted on his fingers again, "_Cereal Offender_, _Sleuth or Consequences_, _The Green House, Study Muffin, Chore and Peace, The Sweet Spot, Save the Date_, saw something about _Project: Loud House_, and..." Lincoln squinted his eyes as he jogged his memory. "I think that's all of them concerning my sisters." His eyes widened before he slapping his forehead. "Oh, wait...almost forgot _Sound of Silence_..."

Dropping his hand towards his nose, one could see narrowed eyes between the teen's hand; Lincoln's other hand had instinctively clenched into a fist as he recalled a memory he wished he didn't have to relive again. Little Ashley had spent two whole days holed up in their trailer after effectively being called a demon by some of her critics. Lincoln and his other sister, Beth, tried what they could to coax her out so they could aid her; but she was about as stubborn as her character when she was in a pissy mood. Their mother was the one to finally soothe her daughter's pain after taking her for a day out, but Lincoln and Beth could still see the pain in Ash's heart whenever the script had her act like a spoiled brat.

"Ashley didn't deserve all that negative crap she got..."

Reina nodded. "She's only a kid. Plus, her and Beth alternate between _Lola_ and _Lana_ on a weekly basis, so even though Ash was starring as Lola for that week, it felt like _both_ were being targeted. Doesn't help some believe whomever plays the little plumber _actually_ eats garbage." The Latina shook her head. "Obviously, it's just real food with a graphic cover to make it look like trash! Only an idiot would fall for that!"

"Laura had to stop me from trying to go after the person who wrote the plot, and it was at that point I started to have...issues...with some of the episode makers." Lincoln folded his arms. "And speaking of which, Laura got trashed a lot for her role in _Driving Miss Hazy, Save the Date,_ _Study Muffin, _and some complaints in _Get the Message_. Granted, she may have been a tad overzealous in her acting (which actually helped keep her in character), but-"

"She voiced her complaints about how _Lori_ appeared to lack any real consideration for her family and only cared about her boyfriend, to which she only used him as a status; especially how it was implied she would be cheating on _Bobby_ for gushing over _Hugh_ so much." Reina added, dipping her hands into her pockets. "I thought _Hazy _would've made her burst, but the last two _definitely_ put a fire in her eyes."

"That's pretty much what everyone else was saying in the reviews too." Lincoln smiled a little. "Laura gave the writer such an earful, I think those guys actually listened for once. Estaban must've voiced his concerns about the need to improve his character, because it looked like _Bobby_ became more of a..." He tapped his chin. "What's the word?"

"Nice guy? Hard worker?" Reina smirked. "Smarter?"

Lincoln shrugged. "Something like that."

"So, what about you?"

"_Me?" _Lincoln gave a dry laugh. "Let's see: I've been given some negative comments for my character's actions in _Out on a Limo, Hand-Me-Downer, Two Boys and a Baby_, that Girl Guru episode, _A Novel Idea_ (hated that one to be honest), and _Picture Perfect_. Now," He shifted his position a little. "In the episodes where I was basically the main character, it's mostly back and forth about whether an episode was good or not. But when you add my problematic episodes with those I mentioned for everyone else, that's basically much of the season getting some harsh critique."

Reina raised a brow. "Weird...the ratings were well over 1 million back then. You sure you weren't just hearing it from a bunch of negative nut jobs? Cause those people tend to yell, A LOT."

"I'm sure. Now, I agree the positive side for the show was good because it was basically up there with the current cash cow for Nick." Lincoln frowned a bit. "But now these days, I think the only reason the popularity was so high is because it's the _only_ other show to watch besides _SpongeBob _outside of the kiddie shows that air in the morning and those live action shows at night..." Giving a sigh, "I miss those 90s cartoons I watched growing up..."

"Don't we all…" Reina nodded. "So, you don't have high hopes for the next season cause of what happened 3 years back?"

"I wish it was that easy," The boy started, "But it's a lot more than that. Now, I've been curious as to what kind of fans the show was attracting; I know it's meant for kids, but it's more of an 'all ages' type of show. I didn't mention _Making the Case_ when I was listing off episodes, and that's because there's been some stupid theories that sprung up on how I can't seem to win anything. I've had the displeasure of finding out there are literally _dozens _of fan stories or art that depicts my character being depressed over the lack of a trophy; some of the stories have revolved around it developing into clinical depression and _Lincoln_ gets put in the hospital after trying to commit suicide."

Reina's eyes widened a bit as Lincoln continued. "And you know what the worst part of it is? I look exactly like my character _all the time;_ same name and almost the same clothing!" The chip-toothed teen threw his hands into the air. "Do you know how hard it is to even do an errand without a group of people showing up and asking, 'Is it true you've never won anything in your life?' or 'Do you feel overshadowed by your sisters'? I'm NOT _Lincoln Loud_! I'm just the guy who plays him!"

Reina looked him over, noting all of his facial details and hair. "I guess it was some lazy writing to not make you change your appearance." Looking up at the boy's hair. "Besides the snow top that is."

"My hair looks white under certain bright lighting, but you can tell it's blonde." Lincoln pinched the bridge of his nose. "And yet they keep making me dye it to the point my hair is the same color as a fence post..."

Reina chuckled, lightly jabbing his arm. "I know _that_. I'm just saying, I agree that our show's attracted a good amount of crazy people and idiots."

"And it started to go downhill _really fast_ when the second season started." Lincoln looked at Riena, who groaned in frustration. "What? You know I'm gonna bring those two up."

"Look Lincoln, I don't know what the hell happened after the first four episodes of Season Two, but I'm just tired of hearing about_ Brawl In the Family_." The Hispanic girl shifted into a semi-relaxed position. "The critics wouldn't shut up about it, Laura refuses to even _mention _it because it made her look extremely shallow; if I started a fight over wearing the same dress, I'd rather tape my mouth shut..." She muttered the last part. "Plus, she even warned the guys who created it that if they ever did something like this again, they'd would end up in the hospital getting her feet removed from their asses."

"Not to mention I looked like a total dunce during the whole shooting..." Lincoln added with a bitter tone. "I hated the fact I had to dress in drag in that Novel episode-"

"Which was delayed a few times until everyone agreed to only have that scene last a minute." Reina pointed out.

Lincoln huffed a little. "Still wonder how _Lynn Sr._ didn't get fired or prevented from bringing his daughters into work if they treat an office building like a playground."

"I think we're getting off track here Link."

"Alright, fine." Lincoln raised his hands. "I won't talk about Brawl..." He lowered them whilst eyeing her in an almost taunting way. "But you _do _know what episode happened not so long after that."

"You mean the episode we can't mention around Linda?" Lincoln nodded, to which Reina laughed. "She outright threatened to _quit the show_ if they didn't do something to fix her character. I don't blame her, cause everyone felt someone must've been smoking pot after reading the script."

"I did ask if there could be some changes to make things seem less...hectic. But look what happened? Not only was I ignored, but Linda literally watched her popularity reach its lowest point in the entire series; all because the guy making it felt it was ok for _Lynn Jr. _to look like some sicko that only cares about a gold trophy." Lincoln gave a heavy sigh. "Katie spent weeks guiding Linda out of her depression, and to this day I still can't figure out who had it worse..."

"Didn't help the previous head of the series came out and said, 'Oh, _Lincoln_ deserved everything he got'." Reina spoke in a faux masculine tone. "Like...what the hell? How does lying about being lucky makes someone liable to being kicked out the house? That's like saying the family was punishing him for being _unlucky._"

"Didn't help that it completely contradicts _Ties That Bind_, what with that promise the parents made. The sad part is," Lincoln shifted his feet a little. "Both of the episode plots had the same author. To make things worse, the audience hasn't stopped talking about it since two years ago. There are so many fan stories out there that you'd need a whole living room to catalog it all; and don't get me started on the art..."

Reina rolled her eyes. "You keep bringing up the fan made stuff..."

"Because it's kind of the point Reina. That episode basically poured gas on a fire that has _never_ stopped burning. I wouldn't be surprised if that was one of the reasons the ratings started to drop."

"Either way, you can't argue that _some_ good came out of that farce."

Lincoln raised a brow. "Like what?"

"One of the heads at Nick HQ finally had a sit in with the writers and directors, flat out telling them to quit making episodes that are outright stupid." The blonde haired teen still had a confused look on his face. Reina sighed through her nose. "In short, you won't see any more episodes with dumb plots that completely miss the point of what it's supposed to mean. Brawl had a good moral to let stuff settle on its own, but you can easily argue things would've worked better if _Lincoln_ (the character, not you) actually knew about the system that apparently everyone else knows. And with _No Such Luck,_ lying was bad, but it was clear no one else besides Lincoln learned anything with the way they ended it."

Lincoln rubbed his chin as he continued to think about the remaining episodes of the second season. "Well, they did make _Room with a Feud_ and _Lynn-er Takes All_. Critics often said they were similar to those other two episodes, but handled the situation better. Not to mention it's been sort of on the upswing since then. I mean, there were still some complaints when it was decided to do _another _April Fools episode; especially since Katie didn't want a repeat of last time."

"It wasn't _that_ bad." Reina pointed out. "It had the family finally get back at her. Though I think going for some sort of horror movie theme for the pranks was a bit much."

"You could say the same about_ Fool Me Twice_. What I still don't get is, why did it have to take _three _episodes for _Luan_ to finally get it that pranking her family on such a high scale wouldn't end well for her? Not to mention the whole point of _No Laughing Matter_." Lincoln tapped his finger on the rail whilst his brows furrowed a little. "You'd think _Luan_ would've noticed her siblings don't like her lame jokes after two years of hearing them groan at every lame pun that flies out of her mouth."

Reina could only give a shrug. "Now these days, I don't even bother asking the staff anything. You know how forgetful they are, even when in the middle of production. Besides, wouldn't be much of a reason to these days; half of them already left to work on the spinoff."

Lincoln nodded with a slight frown. "Yeah..." Looking back up in the sky, "Season 2 was arguably a little better than the first season; or a step back depending on who you ask. We had that romance episode with all the love interests, that episode where it looked like _Clyde_ would get over his thing for _Lori_ (only not to, which was disappointing), annnd a Halloween episode; that last one I actually liked."

"What about _Not A Loud_?" Reina placed a hand on her hip. "Knowing you, I'm certain you kept getting asked whether Lincoln was adopted, _especially_ during the week before it aired."

Lincoln chuckled a little, waving his hand dismissively. "That was an episode just to troll the people that kept thinking he was. I mean, just look between him and half his sisters; it's clear he's related to them." He gave a cheesy grin. "Remember on the news about how a group of people were protesting that the episode be banned because it killed their idea?"

The Latina nodded. "Same thing happened after _No Such Luck_." She squinted an eye as she glanced upward. "You think that petition is still going on?"

The blonde teen laughed to himself. "Like they'll actually go through with it. If Nick had to pull an episode from this show every time someone didn't like it, we wouldn't even had lasted a season."

"Probably..." Reina drawled a little. "You know, these episodes we do. You think they'd be better if the skits were longer?"

Lincoln raised a brow. "What do you mean?"

"Like, we do our acting for an 11 minute episode; 15 if you count the commercials. Say if there were 22 minutes like some of the older shows that used to be on the network. Do you think that extra time would've made a difference?"

Lincoln hummed in thought, drawing his attention to the previous 'specials' the series had. There was no doubt that _Tricked!_ wouldn't have been easy to resolve in 11 minutes, lest the writers decide to cut corners for the sake of time. Then there was _Tripped!,_ which was understandably long as the usual time frame would've been _far _too short; and he'd hate to think how much the editors would have to pull a rush-job due to such limitations. He could say the same for _Cooked! _and that Thanksgiving episode. Then there was the so-called _Loudest Mission_. To this day, Lincoln still didn't know why they even added those two words to the title. Relative Chaos was fine on its own; but apparently he didn't know much about marketing, so he didn't give too much of a crap. And since they were on the topic of specials, there was one episode he didn't enjoy that much.

"I didn't like _Really Loud Music_..." The boy muttered.

"Huh?"

"Remember the 'musical' we did?" Lincoln quoted on his fingers. "Don't get me wrong, I liked the singing and dancing to an extent. But I think having all the songs occur back to back, and having _Lisa_ come out and say it was just in _Luna's_ head kills the mood. But then she appears in the middle of _Lynn's_ music number to complain about how 'trophy' was spelt. Not to mention, why would _Luna_ suddenly have second thoughts about her music? Didn't she work on that track for weeks?" He flailed his arms in a slight fit of anger.

"Lincoln..." Reina started in a low voice. "Answer the question..." Her tone carried a hint of venom, which Lincoln caught onto quickly.

"S-Sorry..." He started, taking a moment to gather his thoughts. "For some episodes, I could _definitely_ say it would've helped. I'm sure I'm not the only one whose noticed that some of the script felt rushed. Or something was rewritten on several occasions." Stuffing his hands in his pockets, "It does feel like they've gotten better at it though; but I do feel a couple of the more recent ones could've been better if they were longer."

"Definitely." Reina nodded. "It's sort of why I feel nervous knowing more people are coming to work for the spinoff and new blood is replacing them. However, I'm just spinning my wheels here, so they _might _be better I don't know." The Latina gave a light shrug. "But if the series _has_ been getting better after 3, or in the middle, then what's eating at you?" She shifted her weight to one foot whilst lightly tapping her foot on the ground. "If it was about the writers and storyboard guys being lazy, it definitely wouldn't have lasted long after all the talking we just did."

The Hispanic teen then noted how Lincoln seemed to fidget uncomfortably, making a pit develop in her stomach as she felt it this was a more personal matter. "Lincoln..." Reina spoke in a soft, caring tone. "What aren't you telling me?..."

Lincoln bit his lip, dispelling a grave sigh through his nose. "You...you ever get that feeling like you've just been the butt of every joke in life?..."

Reina widened her eyes at the question, her mouth nearly falling agape before she managed to bite her tongue to keep her lips from parting. "Dude...you're not going into a depression are you?"

"Not like that. It's just..." Lincoln was interrupted when the exit door opened.

Both teens whirled their heads toward the opening, spotting Olivia (who was the actor of the show's resident punk rocker) stepping out with a vape canister in hand. The brunette hummed to herself as she pressed the opening to her lips and breathed in, only to pause mid-breath when she noticed she wasn't alone. "Oh, sorry mates!" She quickly stated in a thick Aussie accent as smoke spilled out of her mouth. "Didn't see you there." Olivia quickly backed up into the hall, shutting the door behind her.

"As I was saying," Lincoln started after that small interruption, "I was _really_ happy to take part in a show that had the potential to rival _SpongeBob_; especially after I got over the nervousness of being in front of a camera and working with people I didn't know." His frown deepened a little. "But as the years went by, I've felt that my character has rarely grown at all. Everyone else gets to have an episode that expands on their character: Linda got the fixes she _really_ needed for her character (including one where _Lynn_ learned to be more supportive instead of hogging the spotlight), Laura's character become a lot less bossy, Katie's character finally learned to tone down the April Fools shenanigans, Ashley actually got an episode she could be proud of, and Michelle's character definitely isn't as stupid as she used to be. Heck, even Kurt's character went from being an I.T. to owning a restaurant; and Mary's _Rita_ keeps getting new talents added that no one knew about." Lincoln explained, pausing to catch his breath.

"All the while, I've been stuck as a boy who just reads comics in his undies and supports his sisters. I didn't even get a real role to express some sort of interest either." The boy folded his arms. "I thought with the new director, we'd at least build up on my character's interest for art after _Pulp Friction, _but nothing's been done about that. And it feels like whoever manages the episodes wants to find any excuse to involve me in some underwear joke." Lincoln's cheeks became a faint red as he thought about the many times he had to strip naked in front of the camera for the sake of a cheap joke. "It was funny at first, but now it's just..."

"Humiliating?" Reina finished.

"And creepy. But my point is, they took the time to expand and dig deeper into everyone else's personalities, so why am I still the same old boy with nothing special other than being the _only_ other guy in a house with 13 people?" Lincoln pinched the bridge of his nose. "My character is so stale that critics and some audiences have said me even _being in an episode_ will drag the ratings down; and I hate to say it..." The boy released his nose before staring emptily at the ground. "But they aren't wrong...I had little business being in certain episodes that focused on someone else, like _Patching Things Up _and _A Grave Mistake._"

"So, why were you?" The Latina raised a brow. "You could've just said no when they asked you to appear."

"I did..." Lincoln's shoulders sank. "Instead, I was offered additional money to my check if I still went along with it."

Reina pursed her lips. "Money talks indeed..." She muttered.

Lincoln clamped his arm whilst a sudden chill ran up his spine. He might have received some flak for attempting to be a spotlight stealer for an episode that was centered on the twins, but _A Grave Mistake _no doubt in his mind caused more people to hate his character even more. "I still wish I hadn't taken up that offer...I got death threats in the mail from people whom I presume were goths themselves." The troubled teen huffed a little. "It's not like I _wanted_ to dress as if I just came from a punk concert..."

"What happened to that getup you wore during _Space Invader_?" Reina placed a hand on her hip. "That would've been much more appropriate."

"If I had to wager a guess, it's because the person in charge of the script didn't feel like referring to the first season; or just flat out forgot like they _always _do. Second," Lincoln sighed. "Those old clothes didn't fit me anymore, and they were short on male gothic apparel that would've fit..."

The tomboy's mouth dropped a little in disbelief. "How is that possible? You and Lucille were acting with 6 other people. Did you at least check?"

Lincoln rolled his eyes. "Um, duh! They didn't have any spares, so they just figured if I looked like a _half-assed _goth, it wouldn't have mattered." He rubbed his follicles. "I didn't even get a chance to dye my hair..."

"Not to mention that thing that happened on Twitter before HQ finally took it off." Reina stared up blankly. "Still don't know what the hell an 'e-boy' is."

"Well it's definitely something we _don't _need..."

No one said anything for a few minutes, which allowed them to notice the noise from the party had died down a bit.

"I'm scared Reina…" Lincoln started again. The Latina was about to question his behavior, but he continued before she had a chance to say anything. "I'm afraid they're just gonna leave me as being a loser nerd that still has some of the baggage he carried since his elementary school days if they do nothing in the next season. One of the producers even told me they're trying to find any way to gain more viewers; but I'm afraid they might think my character is the reason why the show is tanking, and they'll cut me from _all_ future episodes completely." He curled his lip a little upon feeling his eyes become slightly wet. "James had that problem with his character's infatuation with _Lori_, what with all the nosebleed gags. He really hoped _Change of Heart_ would finally fix things..." Lincoln glanced at Reina. "But we all know how that went. He still has issues with _Predict Ability_ because it made him look like a clingy wimp..."

The tomboy opened her mouth, but no words came out. She hoped to offer words of encouragement, saying something like 'I know how you feel'. But the truth was, she didn't. She would admit it bothered her how little use she got in the main show until the spinoff was announced; but there was some resentment that, while Estaban (who is supposed to be her 'brother') gets mentioned or used several times a season, she scarcely had any episodes or wasn't even acknowledged. It almost felt like the network was trying to forget about her, and Reina feared she'd end up like that boy who played as _Rusty's_ brother for _Back In Black_. Poor kid was pretty confident he'd have an official role in the show; but neither the network, producers, or the staff called him back. Some even forget _Rusty_ was supposed to have a brother. It was for that reason, that Reina had a look that matched the next episode she was due to star in, _Shell Shock._

"And if that wasn't the problem, then I'm really concerned about kind of people this show will keep attracting..."

The tomboy raised a brow. She knew the show was more or less for all ages, but it floated more towards families. Still, she had to ask, "What do you mean?"

Lincoln fidgeted slightly, as if he was going to regret the words that would spew from his mouth. "I mentioned the whole deal with the fan stories and art I've seen before...but I grew to realize there are some very weird or crazy people out there."

"That's..." The Hispanic teen started, growing even more confused. "Not really news..."

"Well, in any case, I stumbled across some known public sites on the internet where people discuss the show." Lincoln scratched the back of his head. "Long story short, I've found that some people like me to such an extreme that I might as well be Jesus Himself; and by that, I mean they bash my 'sisters' to no end in spite of the fact my character is far from perfect. They completely whitewash anything _Lincoln Loud _does and treat his actions as being justifiable against his 'evil sisters'." He quoted the last two words with his fingers. "And that alone makes others who don't know my character hate him (and by extension me) for whatever reason they can think of..."

Reina blinked a few times. "Wow...that's just...wow..."

"And that's not even the worst part..." Lincoln dug into his pocket, pulling out his phone a second later. He opened the internet browser and began typing in something, his brows furrowing a bit as he looked for a specific article. "I don't think you'd be surprised to know people make porn of the show, right?"

Reina gave a dull stare. "Not really." Her eyes widened a little as she thought about the reason Lincoln even brought it up. "Please don't tell me you actually looked at that stuff..."

"I stumbled on it by accident..." Lincoln muttered. "For both our sakes, I'm not gonna speak of it in detail. But in short, most of the drawings I've seen have me being used as a mouthpiece to screw with _every_ female character in the show; and that includes those that only appeared in any given episode for a few seconds in a camera shot." Before he could stop himself, Lincoln added, "And half the time, they don't even bother aging up the characters to make everyone involved adults!"

Reina bit her lips as if she just ate something sour. "Please...for the love of God, don't make me visualize that..." Out of habit, she started to rub her arm to quell the pit forming in her stomach. "Why did you even bring this up?"

Lincoln showed the phone to her, which had the headline of an article that dated back to nearly two years ago. "_Loud House actor Lincoln Wilson denies claims made by crazy __fans?"_ Reina read out loud. She gently grabbed the phone and started to thumb through the page. "What the hell is this?"

"While I was out shopping for my parents, a group of reporters asked me if it was true that I..." Lincoln paused, hesitating to continue on. Fortunately, he didn't need to as Reina found some of the questions that were asked.

Her brows furrowed into a sharp V as a fire started to burn in the Hispanic's eyes. "Had sex with his sisters and older woman?..." Her voice was low and even, but bore an acidic undertone that made Lincoln shiver. The boy flinched the moment she raised her voice to give a sharp yell. "CHILD MOLESTER?! WHAT THE FUCK?!"

"S-Some reporters thought they might've been true with all the fan art they've been seeing..." Lincoln stammered out, his confidence growing weaker as he stared directly into Reina's intense glare. "T-Thankfully, it never made any state headlines because no one believed it." He leaned back on the railing, gripping it with both hands as if he felt his feet would slip out from under him. "I thought being forced to do underwear jokes was embarrassing..." Lincoln breathed in deep. "But that was next level..."

Reina scrolled down the rest of the article, catching a vibe that even the editors themselves found the whole situation ridiculous. However, that clearly didn't stop them from making that damaging article in the first place. Part of her wanted to hunt down whoever had the audacity to claim such vulgar behavior of Lincoln, but her logical side knew it was a moot point; after two years, almost no one gave a damn anyway.

"Did you tell anyone about this?" The tomboy asked.

Lincoln shook his head. "No...I was too unsettled to talk about it." The blonde teen scrunched his face as he drew in air through his nose, audible sniffling escaping him. "I got a sharp reminder of it last year when I was at that comic con in San Francisco to promote the new graphic novel." He glanced up at his friend. "Wanna know what I was asked?..."

Reina didn't say a word, mostly because she couldn't chose whether to sate her curiosity or be fearful of the answer. Regardless, Lincoln took her silence as a yes.

"_What is your opinion of loudcest?_..." Lincoln cringed a little as if he felt bile on the back of his esophagus. "Apparently that's what they call the incest group for those that ship me with my family cast members..."

"Sounds corny..." Was all Reina managed to say.

Lincoln let out a small snort. "It was worse though. Next thing I knew, a full blown shipping war broke out in the middle of the floor. People were punching each other claiming what ship was best, chairs were thrown, and I think someone was put into a coma just for shouting that they liked _Clynn_."

"Clynn?" The Latina repeated.

Lincoln shrugged. "Some ship name I heard." He gave a dry, ironic laugh as he averted her gaze. "I really need to stop looking at the Internet. The fandom at large is pretty fucked up."

Reina had to agree with him on that front. She still remembered the day immediately following that disaster of a public event. While Nick hadn't come out and said it openly, they told all the LH staff that they wouldn't be mentioning them at events such as Games Con due to (in their words) such events putting an unfavorable light on the show. It was also highly recommended that no one attend them to avoid being asked weird or personal questions.

The Hispanic teen pursed her lips a little. "...Do you know what our ship was?"

Lincoln raised a brow as he looked in her direction. "Huh?"

Reina shifted her feet a little, her cheeks developing a faint red hue. "...Do you know what people called us when we were grouped together?"

Lincoln gave an 'Oh' look before muttering, "Ronniecoln."

Reina snorted. "Wow. They just took my nickname and added it to the first part of your name?" The other teen nodded. "Bet they did it with everyone else huh." Lincoln, sadly, nodded again. "Ooooh…." The black-haired girl spoke in an unsettled tone.

Silence was being welcomed again, but Reina wouldn't let it dictate the end of this conversation. At least she had clear picture of what was going on with her blonde-haired co-worker. Four years of little development and being the butt of almost every joke in a show would take a lot out of anyone, and that's not taking into account how immature and weird the fanbase was. If this was happening to her, Reina would've definitely left to find greener pastures. But Lincoln? She still didn't know why he hadn't ditched if he was growing fed up with the management.

"Lincoln...I can't begin to tell you how bad I feel for you going through all that shit...but if you were having this many problems, why hadn't you left?" The Hispanic girl spoke, making Lincoln stare directly at her. "You've been putting up with this for _years_, but you still stayed. If I were you, I would've said 'to hell with this, I'm out'." She pointed towards the gates into the studio center for emphasis. "But why did you continue to...go through that torture...?"

Lincoln shrugged. "I guess I was holding onto some hope that things would get better. And they _did_ for a short while," He huffed a little. "But then it went back to square one as if people just keep forgetting the old stuff we've done; it's almost as if those who manage the episodes don't even talk to each other." His eyes developed a glassy appearance. "Sometimes I wonder what my life would've been like if I hadn't started working here. I would've gone to school, probably made some friends, and I would probably be in my sophomore year in high school by now..."

"You're not in high school?"

Lincoln stared blankly at the Latina. "I'm home-schooled Reina. You know that, especially since I've had to appear in most of the episodes for the show." He looked away, staring at anything but her presence. "At least your spinoff looks like it'll do better while this show slowly dies out..."

Reina folded her arms. "You know Lincoln, you're not the only person whose had issues with how things have been run here. Just about everyone else has had problems one way or another; might even be worse than yours even."

"Really." Lincoln leaned one arm against the railing. "What makes you say that?"

"Not counting the times we mentioned Laura, Katie, and Linda having their own character problems, Lucille hates the fact she can barely see behind her bangs, not to mention she has to constantly put on a ton of make-up just so her skin can appear pale." Reina started to count on her fingers. "Michelle hated always acting like the a person who still ought to be in Special Ed, and little Jenny _still_ has issues pronouncing those overly long scientific words. She's actually beginning to _hate_ science at this point because it's boring her to death. Then, you're also forgetting about the whole shitstorm that happened after _L is for Love_.

Reina stared out into the studio lot. "You and I both know that the episode had been viewed as great, but there were also just as many who felt _Luna_ didn't need to be bisexual; and that argument has been following Olivia since then. Hell, many people aren't fond of _Sam_ because they think she's just a character who only exists to serve as _Luna's_ girlfriend; and Katrina has been getting pissy over the lack of appearances to prove otherwise..."

"Not to mention what's still an ongoing subject in regards to a certain episode." A more mature feminine voice cut in.

Both teens looked at the doors, spotting a woman who looked much like the Loud sibling she starred as. However, whilst _Lori_ had a particular hair style that never really changed, Laura always preferred to let her hair flow naturally; hence why it reached down to her upper back. She had some issues with keeping it in the same U-shaped curve for hours on end, and the 21 year old would be the first to tell you how many times she nearly tore out a chunk of hair just from brushing it. Instead of wearing her usual blue tank top and brown booty shorts, Laura wore the same dress she used during the episode _Party Down_. She also had 3 plates in her hands that contained pieces of chocolate cake accompanied by a plastic fork.

"How'd you know we'd be up here?" Lincoln asked.

"Olivia came back down after trying to find a place to vape, and mentioned you two. Plus, you've been literally gone for almost two whole hours and your sisters were worried you disappeared." Laura stated as if it was the most obvious thing in the world whilst walking over to them. She handed the younger teens their pieces, before picking up her fork and slicing off a small piece from her own cake. "Now, like Reina said, _all_ of us have had issues with the directors being too forgetful or making dumb decisions. Kurt and Mary's characters still receive _a lot_ of negativity after _No Such Luck_, mainly with everyone questioning their parenting skills after_ Lincoln_ was kicked out the house. I'm not gonna go into much detail about it," She stabbed her cake with her fork before shoving the broken piece into her mouth, "But there are those who still want to see them jailed."

Lincoln gave a deadpanned look. "I think I've seen enough stories involving that..."

"And that's another thing Lincoln." Laura pointed her fork at him. "You need to quit watching the fandom. From what I heard you guys talking, it's obviously full of weirdoes, pervs, and generally people who make stuff that would make anyone think they have some problems in their life; something you _really_ shouldn't be affiliating yourself with, much less thinking about. I'm not saying _all_ of them are bad, there's bound to be some good people in there somewhere. But you see why we're not allowed to look at fan-made stuff."

"Right..." Lincoln agreed in guilt. "...How long were you standing there?"

"Enough to hear what you guys were currently going on about." The older blonde swallowed her piece. "What else did I miss?"

"A lot." Reina stated. "To keep it short, Link's been moody since he feels the directors won't let his character branch out, and that it'll just drag the show down to where they might get rid of him." She wouldn't go into specific detail about the accusations Lincoln dealt with; best to keep that under the bridge.

"Pfff, that won't happen." Laura looked down as she stabbed her fork into her food.

"What makes you think that?" Lincoln asked, beginning to munch on his treat.

"Lincoln, your character is _literally_ the one that started this show. That'd be like _SpongeBob _going on without the main character in it. I mean, sometimes it's good to not have to see that annoying yellow idiot, but if our show removed _Lincoln_ after making him a staple since the first season, how would they manage to retcon everything that's happened since?"

"Um, how about the fact my character now has a dad? _After 3 frickin years..._" Reina pointed out, shoving some cake into her mouth.

"Well, I don't know," Lincoln started, a heavy amount of snark and bitterness in his tone. "Why don't they just make me a figment of everyone's imagination? They did that with _Luna_ seeing everyone singing during _Really Loud Music_..."

"Sure, they'll do that; if they want the executives to cancel the show. It probably wouldn't have gotten off the ground if the series was like _anything_ we saw with _White Hare_." The woman stated with a slight giggle. "Voice acting for multiple characters is a pain in the ass. But seriously, if you're worried about the lack of development, why didn't you say anything?"

Both girls looked at the boy expectantly, making Lincoln falter a bit under their gaze. "I...just didn't think they'd listen or take me seriously..." He lightly jabbed his fork into his cake before sticking the torn off segment into his mouth. "I mean, how am I supposed to tell someone I wanted something done with my character when one of the writers told me straight to my face that the reason I've been used for some many underwear jokes was because _'It's easy'_?…"

"Well," Laura placed a hand on her hip. "You certainly never told _me_ about it. Who do you think was there to force to the directors to make those changes for Katie and Linda?"

"You?" Both teens answered.

"Exactly, but you really should've told me a while ago because I doubt I can do much to change what goes on in the current season. But, we can still do something about the next season-" A loud vibration sound echoed into the air, making the trio whip out their phones. "Oh, that's me." Laura chuckled a little. She stepped back and turned whilst bringing the phone to her ear. "Hello?"

"So, like she was saying," Reina turned her attention to Lincoln. "You aren't the only one whose had issues with bad management. Hell, I don't exactly have much hope for the spinoff. I mean, don't get me wrong: it's fun to be with other people I could consider as family, and it's helped my character grow more; but the whole basis of the move just felt dumb. " She glowered a little. "Not only that, but the fact I hadn't been on the set in a while before _Relative Chaos_ just felt like they wanted to get rid of me...at least I didn't end up like that boy who played as _Rusty's_ brother..."

"That would've been real harsh..." Lincoln added. "And speaking of which, what happened to those other guys who were your friends in _City Slickers_?"

Reina shrugged, biting into her cake for a moment. "None of the directors had called them yet..." She squinted her eyes as a bigger thought crossed her mind. "I hope it's not the case, but they _might _have been replaced by PinYin as a whole. Now, _Sid_ is a great friend for _Ronnie Anne_, but you can't help but ask where the heck those other guys went."

"You mean like how _Stella_ went from being an short African American to Filipino?" The boy suggested, a hint of annoyance in his tone. "I'm pretty sure if you go and ask what happened with _Girl Jordan_, the managers won't even remember who she is. However..." Lincoln furrowed his brows a little. "I heard a rumor that the heads of the department didn't find her 'interesting', so they brought in another girl to take her place." He slipped a piece into his mouth. "They didn't even give her a chance to be in more episodes, so what the hell man?!"

"That and the 'dates' _Lincoln_ had during _Dance Dance Resolution._" Reina stated before swallowing.

"Actually, they still remembered _Haiku_; which is weird, cause she's friends with Lucy, and everyone gets surprised when she appears out of nowhere." Lincoln replied, before going on to add. "I believe I also saw _Giggles_' actor when we were making _Friendzy_, but then she disappeared. And to be honest, I think there's some _major_ favoritism going on between the episode directors, because there's been some pretty good questions floating around on what exactly happened to all the minor characters." The boy paused as he stuck another piece of cake into his mouth. "And that episode had a _ton_ of people we rarely even see. And the funny part is, I didn't even see _Carol's _actor among the whole list of friends. And," Lincoln paused again to swallow his food. "I went and asked about her since she was in a recent episode for the season, and you can guess what happened."

Reina pouted her lips a little. "They forgot?..."

"Someone forgot to call in her when they were bringing back all these actors." Lincoln clarified.

"Well, from a technical standpoint, it's not like we do all the filming in the studio. Some people are just there in the background when we shoot offsite, so it's not like we'll see them again." Reina stuck another piece into her mouth, which causes some food particles to fly out every time she spoke. "Now, if you're asking about someone like me and the people that played _Maggie_, _Rocky, Carol, __Chunk,_ and possibly my mom, then it's more complicated."

At the mention of Mrs. Hernandez, Lincoln developed a faint blush on his cheeks as he thought about _Study Muffin_. Honestly, as beautiful as she was, the moment he found out the woman who played Ms. DiMartino also happened to be Reina's mother, the entire episode went from being treated as a child with a puppy crush to a very awkward moment (for him at least); especially since _Lincoln_ and _Ronnie Anne_ had kissed on-screen in a prior episode.

"So..." Lincoln started, looking away for a moment to hide his embarrassment. "D-Did your mom land that movie contract?"

"Yep." The Latina replied, a somewhat depressed look on her face. "I don't see her as much as I used to, especially when she needs to travel." Her face became neutral as she went on to say, "But she still calls me every day."

"Does it feel weird that your aunt is playing as your mom on the show?" The blonde teen asked.

"Nah." Reina waved her hand dismissively. "She's been around since I was in diapers, so it's not like it feels awkward or whatever. Heck, she was my babysitter when Mom was at work. Now, if you asked about the lady who acts as my grandmother, then I'd have a totally different answer." She laughed a little, which became infectious as Lincoln chuckled as well.

With his mood becoming lighter, Lincoln started to realize there was some good about the decision to become a star for a somewhat controversial show. He had friends he could hang out with, people whom he could call as a surrogate family of sorts (being the oldest child in his family, he didn't have an immediate older sibling), and while his talk with Laura was interrupted, he also had people willing to help him out when he felt he couldn't make a statement on his own.

"So this is why I held out for so long..." Lincoln muttered thoughtfully.

"Hmm?" Reina asked, sticking the last piece of cake into her mouth.

"I didn't leave after all the stuff I've been through, because I didn't want to lose you guys." Lincoln answered, a faint smile on his face. "Aside from my actual two sisters, everyone else feels like a family member or close friend; don't get me wrong, I still had thoughts about what could've happened if I left to go work with another network like _Disney _or some other major kids network. But I couldn't imagine just leaving everyone behind despite the media and the fandom being weird and crazy."

Reina nodded. "Estaban does feel like an older brother most of the time; haven't gotten used to my 'cousins' yet though." The Hispanic teen gave a sigh. "I miss those episodes we used to do together..."

Lincoln raised a brow. "Why's that?'

"Cause they were _FUN!_ It's hard to do that now since my character isn't supposed to be in the same town as you guys. The last time we were on the same set was when we were doing the Thanksgiving special; and before that, half the year went by after we did _City Slickers_."

"You still watch as we work though. Doesn't that count?"

The Hispanic teen sent her friend a deadpanned look before shaking her head. "Watching and _acting_ aren't the same Lincoln..."

"She just wants to be close to you." Laura stated as she approached, causing the two teens to jump a little before glancing at her.

"W-What are you talking about?" Reina asked in something of a heated tone, which didn't phase the older actress in the slightest.

"Sorry for walking off, my parents are still enjoying Rome right now." Laura started, her tone firm and clear before folding her arms as she stared at Reina. "You didn't think _anyone _wouldn't notice the way you keep looking at Lincoln whenever he's on stage? You two have been inseparable ever since _Save the Date_. I mean, _everyone_ knows you two have a thing for each other but won't admit to it. Plus, you're literally the first person outside of the twins to go check on Lincoln whenever you think something's wrong with him."

"No I'm not!" The Hispanic teen growled.

Laura rolled her eyes, a smug smile forming on her lips. "You really are just like your character Reina. Besides, I'm pretty sure you both know how many times we've had to do reshoots for _Save the Date_ because you two," She pointed a finger at both teens, "Kept getting nervous about kissing."

Lincoln pinched the bridge of his nose. "We were only 11 Laura. What did you expect?" He grew a little nervous when it appeared that Laura's smirk grew wider.

"All the script called for was a simple kiss. You guys kept at it for 10 whole seconds." She spoke the last sentence in small giggles. "Then, after_ L is for Love _and _White Hare_ (you're probably gonna kill Estaban for this Reina), but he told me how jealous you were about Lincoln being required to impress another girl. In fact, you nearly blew your top when you heard about _Be Stella_ _My Heart._"

Reina opened her mouth to give a cuss-filled retort, but closed it since she knew she couldn't deny those claims. Instead, the Latina folded her arms and cast her glare towards the floor.

"Oh relax." Laura stated, becoming amused by Reina's fussiness. "If it's any consideration, your character is _literally_ the only girl _Lincoln's_ ever kissed on the lips. If those half-baked directors haven't tried to retcon it by now, I doubt they'd change that any time soon. Besides," She turned towards the door. "Those other girls wouldn't have been Lincoln's type anyway."

Lincoln raised a brow. _"I have a type?"_ He repeated in his head, although the boy couldn't be certain as to whether Laura was referring to _Lincoln Loud_ or himself. Lincoln sighed inwardly; having the same name as your character sucked hard...

"...It wasn't the point of the episode..." Reina muttered to herself, although she spoke loud enough for Lincoln to hear.

"So..." Lincoln began once Laura left them alone, uncertain if he should even say anything. "You were jealous?" His eyes widened before recoiling a little as pain shot through his right bicep. "Ow! I was just asking!"

Reina's chest rose and fell as she breathed deeply, her anger dissipating as she started to realize what she did. "S-Sorry..." Was her reply as she lowered her fist. "I-I was just upset at how they keep trying to pair you with some new girl every six months..."

Lincoln let out a chortle. "You aren't the only one. Every time I looked at the main summary and found out it involves me trying to win another girl, I'm like," He let out an over exaggerated groan while his shoulders sank. "_Ugh! Not this again..." _Lincoln relaxed his posture. "I'm serious Reina. These people think I'd be sooo desperate for a girlfriend that just one _winking _at me would make me fall head over heels for her. _White Hare _may have taught the lesson about just being yourself, and _Be Stella My Heart_ taught the lesson about not letting a love interest come between friendship, but I'd be lying to myself it I didn't say _L is for Love_ felt like someone was trying to force everyone into a relationship. That might've been why that whole shipping war started: the people writing this stuff are doing it to themselves!"

Reina nodded. "I still remember some the questions people kept asking the directors at that con in San Diego; you know, before the one that had that huge brawl. Most of them were along the lines of 'What happened to Rocky?', 'Are the new love interests canon?', or-"

"Was _Lincoln_ cheating on_ Ronnie Anne_?" Lincoln interrupted, making the tomboy gawk at him. "I'm pretty sure we both heard someone ask that."

Reina shut her mouth, her lips becoming a thin line as she thought up a number of responses to that question; none of which were good. As such, all she could say was, "No comment..."

"Exactly. And our directors must've shot themselves in the foot because they couldn't answer that one either. Why bother with hiring more actors if you're just gonna dump them anyway?" Lincoln folded his arms. "The only reason they kept _Sam_ and _Benny's _actors is because people liked them the most; especially when you realize no one bothers to mention the others anymore."

Lincoln would've continued, but he saw that Reina was leaning on the railing as she stared emptily into the darkened studio lot. He frowned a little. _"Probably still stuck on that other question..."_ The blonde teen mulled to himself.

He could say with confidence that he did feel something for Reina; not in the kind of friendly-like way, but something deeper and sensual. Laura even spilt the beans that she most likely did as well if the jealousy was any hint; it couldn't be a coincidence that _Lori's _actor recalled the exact episodes the Latina had a near meltdown. However, being that he had never been in a relationship to begin with, Lincoln was left fumbling about trying put a little happiness on the otherwise shitty mood both of them were feeling.

The boy pursed his lips as he carefully thought over what to say, eventually settling on something he hoped wasn't _too _cliche. "If you want my opinion," Lincoln began, taking up a spot to the Latina's right. "I'd say that love episode took place before_ Save the Date_."

"What's makes you think that?" Reina asked in a dull tone, not even bothering to look in his direction.

"None of _Lincoln's_ sisters mentioned _Ronnie Anne_ during that entire episode, whereas they usually would have since they think they're an item; why didn't one of them openly ask if_ Ronnie Anne_ sent the letter?"

The Latina huffed. "Probably because they didn't call me in that week to appear in that episode..."

"Realistically, yeah." Lincoln shrugged. "But it's most likely because the events of _Heavy Meddle, White Hare, _and_ Save the Date_ hadn't occurred yet." He squinted his eyes a little as a faint throbbing on the left side of his cranium started to make itself known. "It's hard trying to piece together which episodes happened first since each one technically exists in its own little world, but this theory makes a lot of sense when you really think about it."

"All I feel is an oncoming headache..." Reina muttered.

"Ok, then I'll put it like this: _Paige _didn't work out because she didn't notice Lincoln (or care to do so, whatever floats your boat), and the_ New Girl_ also didn't work out since _Lincoln_ never saw her much. But there was one girl in the background who noticed _him_, and finally grabbed his attention where others couldn't."

"You mean by pranking him nonstop? The tomboy snarked as she rolled her eyes. "That doesn't sound like a relationship that would last..."

"Usually, but you could say _Lincoln_ and _Ronnie Anne _saw something in each other that made them become fast friends. Everyone thinks they're a couple in spite of denying being anything more though; but..." Lincoln cleared his throat, a faint red hue forming on his cheeks as he prepared for what he had to say next. "T-There may be some truth to it. They're still kids who haven't yet fully sorted out their feelings, a-and they still have plenty of time to figure where things stand in spite of working on different sets- I mean shows." He quickly corrected himself, though that slip of the tongue definitely got Reina's attention.

The tomboy raised a brow before giving a side glance towards the blonde.

"And because they have time..." Lincoln kicked the nose of his shoe against the concrete ground. "You...wanna go out to movies or...you know?..." He smiled in a nervous and sheepish manner.

Reina blinked in surprise as she gave him her full, undivided attention. "Was that your best impression of asking me on a date?"

Lincoln didn't say anything as he felt the next thing to fly out his mouth would be something stupid, so he settled with a gentle nod.

Reina couldn't suppress the giggles building in her throat. "That's a pretty dorky way to go about it Lincoln. And," She lightly scooted her hand over until it was lying on top of his. "I got free time on Saturday."

"Sooooo that's a yes?" Lincoln asked, his confusion evident in his tone.

Reina snorted and lightly shoved him on the shoulder. "Of course it is Lame-O. Just make sure you don't pick some stupid romance movie."

Lincoln chuckled. "Wouldn't dream of it."

"HEY!" Both teens whirled around to find Laura standing at the entrance. "If you're done planning your date, you should come down here and voice your concerns while I got a few of the directors in a bind."

Both teens looked at each other with a dull face, one thought simultaneously occurring in their heads. _"Mood Killer..."_

**A/N: I hope you enjoyed this satire-turned-drama bashing of the many aspects of the show and fandom; definitely won't be doing it again. Also, if someone comes to me with hate mail, I'll most likely ignore it, so don't waste your breath.**

**Below is a list of actor names used for this story because I know people will be wondering who is who if I don't make it. If they don't have a last name, it's because I'm lazy:**

**Lincoln Wilson** \- _Lincoln Loud _

**Ashley Wilson **\- _Lola Loud/Lana Loud_

**Beth Wilson **_\- Lana Loud/Lola Loud_

**Reina Hernandez **_\- Ronnie Anne Santiago _

**Mrs. Hernandez **_\- Ms. DiMartino_

**Laura **_\- Lori Loud_

**Olivia **_\- Luna Loud _

**Katie** -_ Luan Loud_

**Michelle **_\- Leni Loud_

**Jenny **_\- Lisa Loud_

**Lucille** _\- Lucy Loud_

**Linda **_\- Lynn Loud Jr._

**Kurt** _\- Lynn Loud Sr._

**Mary **_\- Rita Loud_

**Estaban **_\- Bobby_

**Lily** _\- Three infants that were changed out every six months because they got too old_

**Everyone Else** _\- Who gives a shit?_


End file.
